Propulsion device



June '7, 1966 v. E. sPRoUsE 3,254,640

PROPULSION DEVICE Filed May 20. 1963 INVENTOR. BY M/v SWW/5b;

United States Patent() 3,254,640 PROPULSION DEVICE Veruer E. Sprouse,Columbus, Ind., assignor to Vernco Corporation, Columbus, Ind., acorporation of Indiana Filed May 20, 1963, Ser. No. 281,606 6 Claims.(Cl. 124-16) This invention relates to a propulsion device, and has forits objects the provision of such a device which will be simple and easyto operate, which is adapted to impart a directional force to an object,and which will provide such a directional force without any recoil.

In accordance with the preferred form of my invention, there is providedan elongated housing having alongitudinally extending coil springcarried therein. The spring is connected at one of its ends to saidhousing and has its opposite end connected through a coupling to aplunger movable longitudinally of the housing and projecting outwardlytherefrom.

The plunger is movable longitudinally of the housing to dispose saidspring in a position forcreating a biasing force on said housing. Toreleasably retain the plunger in position for the spring to effect sucha biasing force, a trigger assembly operatively engageable with saidplunger is mounted on the housing. Said trigger assembly is adapted tobe actuated to release the plunger to thus release the biasing force ofthe spring for propelling the housing longitudinally of itself.

Other objects and features of my invention will become apparent from themore detailed description which follows and from the accompanyingdrawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 1--1 of FIG. 3'andshowing a propulsion device embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section similar to FIG. l, but showing thedevice in an uncooked position;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation of the device shown in FIG l; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary isometric View of the device shown in FIG. 1,but showing said device in position to fire a projectile.

As illustrated in the drawings, my invention comprises an elongatedouter housing 10, conveniently in the form of a length of metal-tubing.The ends of the housing are closed by a pair of end closures 12 and 14which are iixedly mounted on said housing in any convenient manner, suchas by screws 16. An elongated coil tension spring 18 is axially carriedin the housing 1li and has one of its ends iixedly connected, as at20,-to the end closure 12 to thus lixedly connect said spring to thehousing. The opposite end of the spring 18 is movable with respect tothe housing and is connected, as at 22, to a coupling 24 slidablymovable along the inner housing walls. Conveniently, the spring 18 andcoupling 24 are further joined together by a weight 26 connected to saidcoupling by a screw 28, the end face of the weight 26 being disposedagainst the end 22 of the spring connected to the coupling 24. A plunger30 is xedly mounted in the coupling 24 and extends outwardly therefromthrough an opening formed in the end closure 14. Conveniently, theplunger 30 has a length such that it extends outwardly beyond the endclosure 14 when the spring 18 is in both its compressed and extendedstates.

My device may be cocked and lired by any suitable type trigger assembly.As shown in FIG. 1, one such trigger assembly is'mounted on the endclosure 14 and isv adapted to releasably engage the plunger 30 when saidplunger is moved outwardly to place the spring 18 in tension. To thisend, the trigger assembly comprises a pair of laterally spaced arms 32and 34 fixedly mounted on the end closure 14 and projecting thereabove.A second pair of arms 32' and 34' interconnected by a transverselyextending member 40 are swingably mounted on the end closure 14 by apair of links 36 rigidly mounted on the arms 32 and 34 and pivotallymounted on the end closure 14 as at 37. A coil spring 38 interconnectsthe lower ends of the arms 34 and 34 and thus urges the upper ends ofthe arms 32 and 34 to swing away from the arms 32 and 34.`

As shown in FIG. l, to cock the device the plunger 30 is pulledoutwardly to place the spring 18 in tension. The arms 32' and 34 arethen swung about the links 36 to move the member 40 into a locking notch42. formed in the plunger substantially inwardly from the end thereof.The member 40 is releasably retained in the notch 42 by a cord or othersuitable means 44 interconnecting the upper ends of the arms 34 and 34which thus prevents the arms 32 and 34 from swinging the member 40 outof said notch under the action of the spring 38. Conveniently, in orderto fire the device from either the side or front, the ends of the cord44 are secured to the arms 34 and 32 with the intermediate stretch ofsaid cord being slidably carried in an opening in the arm 34. Thus, ifthe cord stretch between either the arms 32 and 34 or 34 and 34' isbroken, the device will re.

The operation of my device may be described as follows: The plunger 30is pulled outwardly of the end closure 14 until its locking notch 42lies over the member 40 connecting the arms 32 and 34. Whenthe plungeris in this extended position, the spring 18 exerts a biasing force onthe housing 10 and the coupling 24, urging v them in opposed directions.The arms 32' and 34 are then swung upwardly about the link pivots 37until the member 40 is received in the locking notch 42 and the spring38 is thus placed in tension. With the member 40 received in the plungerlocking notch, the cord 44 is applied to the upper ends of the arms 32,34, and 34 to hold said member in the locking notch. Upon breaking thecord 44, the arms 32 and 34,will be swung downwardly under the action ofthe spring 3S to thus disengage the member 40 from the locking notch 42thereby releasing the plunger 30. Upon such release of the plunger 30,the spring 18 will cause vthe housing 10, an-d thus the componentsfixedly connected thereto to move to the right as viewed in FIG. l untilsaid spring reaches its compressed state as shown in FIG. 2. There willbe, of course, a limited movement of the plunger 30 and the coupling 24and weight 26 to the left as viewed in FIG.

l, but the device as a whole will be propelled to the right upon releaseof the plunger 30. Thus, from the operation just described, it will beapparent 'that my device, when rigidly mounted on an object, will'exerta unidirectional force on that object without exerting any correspondingcounterforce or recoil against the object. That is, if my device ismounted on a stationary object, and fired, it will cause such object tomove to the right as viewed in FIG. 1, or if such an object is alreadyin motion it will increase the velocity of that moving object.Conversely, if it is mounted on,- and fired from, an object moving tothe left as viewed in FIG. l, it will cause the velocity of such anobject to be retarded.

It will be also be apparent from FIG. 4, that my device is adapted forring a projectile. To this end, I mount wardly olf the end of theplunger 30. In using my device for firing such a projectile, it is ofcourse necessary that the housing have free movement in the direction ofthe ight of the projectile.

I claim as my invention:

l. A propulsion device, comprising an elongated housing, a coil springcarried in said housing and having one of its ends xedly connectedthereto, a coupling slidably carried in the housing, said coupling beingxedly connected to the opposite end of the spring and to a plungerslidably mounted in the housing and projecting outwardly from one endthereof, and a trigger assembly mounted on said housing and engageablewith the outwardly projecting end of the plunger, said trigger assemblyreleasably retaining said plunger in an extended position and saidspring in tension whereby upon release of the plunger the tension ofsaid spring will propel the housing longitudinally in the direction ofthe outwardly projecting end of the plunger.

2. A propulsion device, comprising an elongated housing having a pair ofend closures, a springcarried in said Vhousing and connected at one ofits ends to one of said end closures, a coupling slidably carried insaid housing and tixedly connected to the opposite end of the spring anda plunger to interconnect said spring and plunger, said plunger beingslidably carried in the other of said end closures and projectingoutwardly therefrom, and a trigger assembly mounted on said other ofsaid pair of end closures and engageable with the outwardly projectingend of the plunger, said trigger assembly releasably retaining saidplunger in an extended position and said spring in tension whereby uponrelease of the plunger the tension of said spring will propel thehousing longitudinally in the direction of the outwardly projecting endof the plunger.

3. A propulsion device, comprising an elongated housing, a coil springaxially carried in said housing against the inner walls thereof, saidspring being tixedly connected to said housing at one of its ends andhaving its opposite end ixedly connected to a coupling slidably movablealong the inner housing walls, a weight mounted on said coupling formovement t-herewith and disposed within said spring at said oppositespring end, a plunger connected to said coupling and extending outwardlyfrom one end of said housing, said plunger being movable with respect tothe housing for moving said opposite spring end with respect to thehousing to place said spring in tension and create a biasing force'between the housing and said opposite spring end, and means releasablylocking said plunger in a position in which said spring is in tension toexert said biasing force on the housing whereby upon release of saidplunger the biasing force of said spring will d propel the housinglongitudinally of itself in the direction of the outwardly projectingplunger.

4. A propulsion device, comprising an elongated housing having an endface at one of its ends normal to the longitudinal housing axis, aspring carried in said housing and having one of its ends connectedthereto, a coupling slidably carried in said housing and ixedlyconnected to the opposite end of the spring and to a plunger slidablysupported in said end face to interconnect said spring and plunger, saidplunger projecting outwardly from the end face and having a generallyuniform crosssection, a projectile slidably supported on said plunger inoperative position against said end face, and a trigger assemblyengageable with said plunger outwardly from said projectile, saidtrigger assembly releasably retaining said plunger in an operativeposition to dispose said spring in tension whereby upon release of saidplunger the tension of said spring will propel the housing and end facelongitudinally with respect to the plunger to propel the projectiletherefrom.

5. A propulsion device as set forth in claim 4 in which said triggerassembly is provided with means engageable with said projectile when theplunger is in its operative position for holding said projectile againstsaid end face.

6. A propulsion device, comprising an elongated housing having an endface at one of its ends normal to the longitudinal housing axis, aspring carried in said housing and having one of its ends connectedthereto, a coupling slidably carried in said housing and xedly connectedto the opposite end of the spring and to a plunger slidably supported insaid end face, said plunger projecting outwardly from the end face toslidably support a projectile thereon in operative position against saidend face, and a trigger assembly having means adapted to be received ina recess formed in said plunger outwardly from the projectile forholding said projectile against said end face and retaining said plungerin an operative position to dispose said spring in tension, said triggerassembly being operable to move said means out of said recess and awayfrom said projectile whereby the tension of said spring will propel thehousing and end face longitudinally with respect to the plunger topropel the projectile therefrom.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1929 Davidl2426 X l/l950 Koucky 42-16

1. A PROPULSION DEVICE, COMPRISING AN ELONGATED HOUSING, A COIL SPRINGCARRIED IN SAID HOUSING AND HAVING ONE OF ITS ENDS FIXEDLY CONNECTEDTHERETO, A COUPLING SLIDABLY CARRIED IN THE HOUSING, SAID COUPLING BEINGFIXEDLY CONNECTED TO THE OPPOSITE END OF THE SPRING AND TO A PLUNGERSLIDABLY MOUNTED IN THE HOUSING AND PROJECTING OUTWARDLY FROM ONE ENDTHEREOF, AND A TRIGGER ASSEMBLY MOUNTED ON SAID HOUSING AND ENGAGEABLEWITH THE OUTWARDLY PROJECTING END OF THE PLUNGER, SAID TRIGGER ASSEMBLYRELEASABLY RETAINING SAID PLUNGER IN AN EXTENDED POSITION AND SAIDSPRING IN TENSION WHEREBY UPON RELEASE OF THE PLUNGER THE TENSION OFSAID SPRING WILL PROPEL THE HOUSING LONGITUDINALLY IN THE DIRECTION OFTHE OUTWARDLY PROJECTING END OF THE PLUNGER.